The present invention relates, in general, to a belt assembly for securing an occupant of a vehicle, such as, e.g., the position of the commander of a military armored vehicle, in a sitting position as well as standing position.
The commander of an armored vehicle can assume a standing position, when the hatch is open, for surveying the surroundings. On the other hand, the commander assumes a sitting position, when the hatch is closed. The commander is able to completely fulfill his jobs in both positions only when restrained in these positions also during travel in rough terrain, when hitting an obstacle, at mine explosions, or at rollover of an armored vehicle. Also rescue personnel and physicians in ambulances may assume comparable positions during travel and must be able to so move in sitting or standing positions, while restrained, that persons transported in the vehicle can be reliably taken care of. Furthermore, such positions in helicopters used for civil or military purposes are conceivable, when handicapped persons that are immobile require assistance (e.g. hoisting) when e.g. the door is open.
Various belt assemblies heretofore designed for land and air vehicles are not suitable to meet these demands as they normally take into account only one or the other position of an occupant, however ignore the fact that the occupant must be restrained during activity while sitting or standing.
German patent publication DE-AS 11 51 689 as well as German utility model DE-GM 76 26 542 disclose belt assemblies for persons sitting in a vehicle, which include body belts and leg belts releasably connected with one another via an abdomen-side central buckle. The configuration of these belt assemblies is so conceived that the persons are unable to switch from the sitting position into a standing position, when being restrained.
German Pat. No. DE-PS 290 681 discloses a restraint for a person standing in an aircraft. This restraint includes a restraining belt which is worn by the person around the pelvis and is connected with the frame of the aircraft via flexible and resilient members extending radially in relation to the restraining belt. Such an assembly enables only a securement of a standing person.
German patent publication DE 33 00 471 C2 discloses a belt assembly which is directly associated to a vest worn by a person that takes a seat in sitting position in a vehicle and wants also to be restrained in this position by the belt assembly.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved belt assembly which obviates prior art shortcomings and secures an occupant of a vehicle in sitting and standing positions and which can be quickly attached and removed.